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OpenOffice XML 2, MS Office XML nil
The OpenOffice file format has already been embraced by OASIS (the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards), who's Open Office Format Technical Commitee governs the specs of the format. The OASIS TC, composed of document experts from important organizations like Boeing, Sun Microsystems and the National Archives of Australia, was formed when OASIS decided to use the innovative OpenOffice XML file format implementation as the basis for a universal file format standard for office suites. Now, Micheal Singer, reporting for Internetnews.com, explains how Sun Microsystems were recently invited by the European Commission to subit their innovative OpenOffice XML specification to ISO, the International Organization for Standardization. This being the second major standards body to express interest in OpenOffice's XML file format -- at the deliberate exclusion of Microsoft's patent-encumbered XML file format -- signals that OpenOffice is further now on its way to becoming an accepted standard. |
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Comments (4)
In fact the EC invited both OOo and MSO reps to demonstrate their formats, and it was the OOo format which has won the opportunity to become an ISO standard.
Also, the OOo suite is engineered to ingest and work with all legacy MS Office formats as well as the new MS Office XML schema which are patent-encumbered.
Thx #6!
-SWHiser
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"This being the second major standards body to express interest in Open Office's XML file format -- at the deliberate exclusion of Microsoft's patent-encumbered XML file format -- signals that Open Office is further now on its way to becoming an accepted standard. " [emphasis mine]
This is not worded very well (or is the misleading implication a result of intentional 'spin'?)
If the OO.org XML format becomes an ISO standard, there is absolutely nothing that would stop Microsoft Office from implementing that standard. Microsoft actively chooses to force customers to save their data in Microsoft's proprietary formats. There is no deliberate 'exclusion' of Microsoft by Open Office, by the European commission, or by the ISO standards organization. Microsoft can choose to implement OO.org's XML format now or if it is standardized.
Microsoft will also be able to continue to use their proprietary, patent-encumbered format whether or not the OO.org XML format becomes standardized. Standardizing the OO.org format will not exclude Microsoft from continued use of their own format.
Microsoft has chosen to 'exclude' the OO.org format, denying Microsoft's customers the ability to save the customer's own data in an industry standard format.
Hopefully Microsoft will choose to allow their customers to save documents in the Open Office format if they choose to. Otherwise The customers may choose to switch the products they use, and drop Microsoft Office. This message was edited Sep 29, 2004 1:14 PM